Sanitary drinking-fountain.



J. LE R. MILLBN. SANITARY DRINKING FOUNTAIN. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21.1911.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

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JAMES LE ROY MILLEN, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN.

SANITARY DRINKING-FOUNTAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Application filed .Tune 21, 1911. Serial No. 634,482.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES Ln It. Minnen, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvennnits in SanitaryDrinking-Fountains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in sanitary drinking fountains, andits object is to provide the same with various new and useful featureshereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in theclaims reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure1 is a vertical section of a device embodying my invention; Fig. 2 anenlarged detail in vertical section of the drinking cup; Fig. 3 a planview of the same; and Fig. 4 an enlarged detail of the inner ends of thehose to which the cup is attached.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

1 represents a portion of a hollow column of any convenient ornamentaldesign provided at one or more points on the outer surface With adrainage receptacle 2 located to receive the drainage from a drinkingcup suspended above the same as hereafter described.

Beneath the receptacle 2 and near the base of the structure is awatering trough 3 conveniently located to be accessible to small animalsto drink therefrom. An overflow opening 3a in the wall of the columnmaintains a constant level of water in this trough 3.

Below the opening 3a is a funnel 5 to which is attached a drain pipe 6.This funnel closes the interior of the column and receives any waterescaping into the same. Extending through the funnel and upward in thecolumn is a pipe 4 to supply water to the device, provided at its upperend with a head 4t1 in which is inserted any convenient number ofnipples to each of which is attached a small supply hose 8 which extendsthrough an opening in the wall of the column and within a drainage hose9.

10 is a cupshaped receptacle to which the hose 9 is attached by asuitable nipple. The other end of the' hose 9 is attached to a nipple orboss surrounding the opening in the wall of the column 1 through whichthe supply hose S extends, said opening heilig larger than thc hose 8whereby the water from the drainage hose 9 (which is also larger in theinterior than the supply hose 8) will escape into the interior of thecolumn and thence downward into the funnel 5 and drain pipe (3,extending to the sewer or other conduit to carry away the water.

In the axis of the cup 10 is a small tube 12 to which the supply hose Sis attached, said tube being supported by radial arms 1S extending tothe interior of the cup. On the top of the tube 12 is a bell shapednozzle forming a small drinking cup 12 extending slightly above the topof the cup 10 from which the supply water escapes in a constant streamand overflows the margin of the same. These cups are thus constantlywashed and kept cleansed by the flow of water which escapes over themargin of the cup 12 into the surrounding cup 10, which latter issuspended by suitable side chains 16 connected by a yoke 15 which yokeis in turn suspended by a single chain 13 from a bracket 14 attached tothe column 1. wWhen out of use this cup 10 hangs somewhat below thelevel of the inner end of the drainage hose 9 whereby the outer cup 10is filled with water which in turn overflows the margin of the samekeeping the same constantly washed; this overflowing water beingcollected in the receptacle 2 and thence escaping by means of a pipe 7downward into the trough 3. W'henever the cup 10 is raised by any onefor the purpose of drinking from the nozzle or inner cup 12 the water inthe outer cup 10 automatically escapes through the drainage pipe and theflow over the margin of the same is automatically discontinued.

11 is a safety chain attached near the respective ends of the drainagehose 9 to prevent strain upon the hose couplings.

What I claim is 1. A drinking fountain, comprising an inner cup, anouter cup spaced apart from the inner cup, a supply pipe, a hosecommunicating with a supply pipe and the inner cup, a drainage hosecommunicating with the outer cup and means for inovably suspending saidcups normally below the level of the discharge end of the drainage hosewhereby the supply water normally overflows both cups and automaticallydischarges through the drainage hose Whenever the cups are raised abovethe level of said disy charge end.

2. A drinking fountain, comprising a column, a supply pipe in thecolumn, an outer cup, means for movably supporting the outer cup, adrainage hose communieating With the bottom of the outer cup at one endand with the interior of the column above the normal level of the saidcup at the other end, a tube in the axis of the outer cup, a drinkingcup on t-he upper end of the tube and a supply hose communicating Withthe tube at one end, extending Within the drainage hose andcommunicating With the supply pipe at the other end.

8. A drinking fountain, comprising a hollow column, a funnel in the baseof the column, a drain pipe connected to the funnel, an outer cup, abracket near the top of the column, chains suspending the outer cup fromthe bracket, a drainage hose communicating with the bottom of the outercup and With the interior of the column above the normal level of thetop of said cup, an inner cup Within the outer cup and spaced aparttherefrom, a supply pipe in the column and a supply hose communicatingWith the inner cup at one end extending Within the drainage hose andcommunicating With the supply pipe at the other end.

4L. A drinking fountain, comprising a hollow column having on theoutside a bracket near the top, a drainage receptacle near the middleand a trough near the bottom, chains suspended from the bracket, anouter cup supported by the chains, a drainage hose communicating Withthe bottom of the said cup at one end and communicating With theinterior of the column above the normal level of the top of the said cupat the other end, an inner cup Within the outer cup and spaced aparttherefrom, a supply hose inside the drainage hose and communicating Withthe inner cup at one end and a supply pipe in the column communicatingWith the other end of the supply hose, a pipe communicating with thesaid receptacle and the trough, a funnel in the bottom of the column,said column also having an opening opposite the trough to dischargeWater therefrom into the funnel.

In testimony whereof I ai'liX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.A

JAMES LE ROY MILLEN. Vit-nesses CHARLES VAN KEUREN, CHAS. S. EMERY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

